Finally Did Something Right

I was looking at the timeline of my novel. 

I had it all setting out before me and I was analyzing every part of it, searching every scene for a way to tie it all together when it hit me. My bad guy. He really has NO role in it except towards the end. 

And let's face it, I don't want to be a Nora Roberts novel waiting to happen. I want my bad guy to actually BE prominent, a source of fear in my main characters mind that will keep her AND my readers up every night, devouring each page until the very end. 

Now I do try my hardest NOT to sound like a book snob, but seriously? Where's the plot if your bad guy doesn't show up? 

I imagine that the characters wander around aimlessly like this ...

Duh! 

I think that face says it all. Whatever! 

Anyway ... things are complicated enough than to add to them by constantly staring at a blinking cursor and wondering what your bad guy is doing ... so I simply found a way to put in his issue right away. Now my bad guy has a REASON for constantly coming after my main character. 

That has been a trial by itself. 

Prologue

                Heaving with exertion, muscles screaming for relief, and head pounding, Cara was hurrying back towards the manor as fast as her legs could carry her. When Teresa, her boss and the housekeeper told someone to run, they ran. Cara was no exception. Especially now. A thousand different thoughts were whizzing through her mind as the enormous house came into view at the end of the street. What was she going to say? How was she going to say it? She pushed the wrought iron gate open with a heavy groan and let it close behind her. The feeling of being back behind the gates brought back the uncertainty of what she was about to do tenfold, but Cara pushed the feeling away. Putting on a final burst of speed, she cranked the door handle and rushed inside, ignoring the inquisitive looks of the other servants as she zipped past them out of the enormous living room and towards the back of the house. His study was in sight, then. Cara slowed to a walk, trying to slow her breathing and racing heartbeat. She closed her eyes, inhaled a deep, calming breath and knocked … a bit more rapidly than she’d initially intended.

                “Come in.”

                The voice beckoned her inside and Cara turned the knob and entered the study of the Vampire Lord. “My Lord?” She lowered her head in a bow, not wanting to meet his gaze.

                “What is it?”

                “I have a message from Teresa. It’s urgent. I tried to get here as fast as I could.” Cara raised herself to her full height and finally looked at her master, Azreal Somerfeld.
                “Well?” Azreal had remained seated at his desk, folding his arms across his chest. “What’s the message?” He waited as Cara pushed a folded piece of paper across the desk to him. Azreal picked it up and unfolded it with an exasperated sigh and began to read silently. Cara continued to stand there awkwardly. She knew the rules well. She could not leave until he dismissed her. Azreal put the letter back down on the desk and leaned forward, interlocking his fingers together and looking up at his servant. “And what exactly does Teresa propose I do?”

                “Steal her.”

And there it is, folks! THIS is the beginning prologue for my novel. Now my bad guy, Crescent is going to royally pissed and go after Azreal if he goes in and steals his pet. And please note that this is just the ROUGH draft so no critiques at this point. 

It's times like this when I realize that my choosing to be a writer was indeed an excellent life choice. Now I just have to do one TEENY TINY thing ... get published. Small detail, right? :P 
Meanwhile, I'm going to start throwing myself into Freelance Editing. 
According to the Writer's Group I attended a couple weeks ago, that's the way to get started. It is what I went to school for, after all.

Moving on, shall I? 

The training for the 5K at Binder Park Zoo is actually going really well. But that's all I have time for ... because ... I have to go to work. But hey, tomorrow's Wednesday so I'll try to post something tomorrow too. Hopefully it will be something that doesn't make me feel like such a primadonna. Oh well. What do you do? 

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself
Taryn